Recently in CONCACAF Champions League Category

Most of us, I suspect, will be more interested in the UEFA Champions League game going on today than the CONCACAF version.

But a Los Angeles native (who deserves a call-up to the national team) is set to play a key role in today's regional Champions League game and provide a welcome diversion to a city torn by drug violence. Here's more on the 7 p.m. game on Fox Soccer between Monterrey and Santos Laguna from the Associated Press:

TORREON, Mexico (AP) -- Gunfire crackled during the game, with players and referees running for cover.

Outside Santos Laguna's soccer stadium, gunmen had opened fire on a police patrol. No one was killed this time. This was just the daily fallout from the drug cartel violence that engulfs this city in northern Mexico.

That was eight months ago.

Fast forward to next week, when the same stadium will be the main stage for a big moment in Mexican sports. Santos Laguna will try to win the CONCACAF Champions League against Mexico rival Monterrey. The winner of the two-leg finals advances to Tokyo for the Club World Cup, which was won last year by Spanish giant Barcelona.

"It'd be really nice to give these people something to be proud of, for Torreon to be put on the global scale for something other than negativity or violence," said Herculez Gomez, the American striker and the team's top scorer. "They live, they eat, they breath this team out here."

Los Angeles native Gomez grew up in Las Vegas and played in the last World Cup for the U.S. He transferred to the first-division team in December from the Mexican club Estudiantes Tecos.

Hot shot: Herculez Gomez, second from left, has 11 goals in his last eight games for Santos Laguna (AP Photo).

"I was definitely worried coming in," he said. "You fear what you don't know. I'd heard great things about the club, that they were a top-notch club, very professional; very new-age as far as Mexican football goes. I came and that's exactly what I saw."

Santos Laguna plays the first leg Wednesday at Monterrey with the second leg on April 25 at Santos' Corona Stadium.

Santos has been close to success recently, losing three of the last four finals for the Mexican League championship. The team is near the top again this season, thanks in part to the ownership and financial might of Mexican brewer Grupo Modelo.

Much of the credit goes to Alejandro Irarragorri, the club president who took over in 2006 and is intent on keeping the team competitive. He has visited European powerhouses such as Barcelona, Real Madrid and Manchester City and has tried to learn from those models. The club also has close links with Celtic in Scotland and has showed its ambition by signing Spanish midfielder Marc Crosas, a product of Barcelona's youth system.

"Our vision is that of a business, and when one wants to learn important things you have to look to the leaders, and it is clear that European leagues are leaders in all aspects," Irarragorri said.

The team's Territorio Santos Modelo complex -- opened in 2009, and housing the stadium, youth team housing, training facilities and eventually a shopping mall and hotel -- is one of the most modern sports facilities in Mexico.

But the city has had myriad problems linked to the drug war. A government assault on organized crime has been accompanied by violence that has left more than 47,000 people dead nationwide since President Felipe Calderon deployed thousands of federal police and soldiers shortly after taking office in 2006.

In Torreon, nightclubs closed because of the violence and bars shut early. Get-togethers in homes are the norm with the drug-related turf war between the Sinaloa and Zeta cartels ravaging the city. The army and state police patrol the streets, and the U.S. government advises its citizens not to go to Torreon.

"The city of Torreon had a murder rate of more than 40 per 100,000 population between January and August of 2011," the U.S. government said in a statement "You should defer all nonessential travel."

Despite the fear and chaos, Santos regularly fills its 30,000-seat stadium on the outskirts of the city.

"With all this violence, the stadium has become like a meeting point for the city," taxi driver Aaron Ramirez said. "It would mean a lot here to get to the Club World Cup."

It's surely too early to describe the Galaxy, without a win in three games to begin the defense of their MLS crown and having crashed out of the hemisphere's most prestigious club competition to a franchise that often resembles the Chivas USA of Canada, as a team in crisis.

But it is undeniable that with the foundation of the Galaxy's success - its customarily rock-solid defense - shipping seven goals in just three games, something must be done before even the more forgiving MLS season prematurely slips away.

Arena hasn't wanted to blame the season-ending knee injury to central defender Omar Gonzalez - the 2011 MLS Defender of the Year - for the Galaxy's futility so far. But it's apparent to everyone that his absence has affected the team more than Arena has so far publicly admitted.

Arena quite rightly pointed out after Tuesday's game that there was plenty of culprits out there for the loss, the second consecutive one at Home Depot Center, a fortress for the club last year.

"We played poorly in both boxes and that was the difference in the game," he said. "We didn't get the job done at both ends of the field.

"Tonight we actually played very well," he added. "It's ridiculous we went down a goal at half time. We were dominant in the first half, had a couple of chances, didn't covert. ... It's a couple of plays that made a difference. We should have scored goals tonight.

"Somebody told me that Toronto had two shots tonight. I don't think our goalkeeper made a save tonight."

But teams are now beginning to focus on the weak link in the Galaxy back four -- rookie Tommy Meyer -- as Toronto Coach Aron Winter conceded last night. And the Galaxy don't want to put themselves in the position of attempting to outscore their opponents to compensate, despite the undoubted firepower of their front six. That's a dangerous strategy as Ruud Gullit discovered back in 2008.

To be fair, the Galaxy have looked sluggish in virtually every facet of their game so far in 2012, as both players and Arena have readily acknowledged.

"We're definitely lacking a bit of bite right now as a team," said veteran midfielder Mike Magee. "We can't point fingers at forwards for not finishing, at defenders for not kicking the ball away from the goal, in the midfield we're a bit slow -- we're second to balls -- it's across the board.

"We needed something to be lit under us because we're second to every ball and we're second in every game," he added. "We're not panicking first of all. We'll be all right. It's just that we had high hopes in this competition. Last year I don't think we had two many let downs all year. We've played three games and all of a sudden we're without a win. We're left scratching our heads."

David Beckham's free kicks have gone awry on an unusually large number of occasions, failing to even breach the wall and give attackers an opportunity to put the ball away from a threatening set piece.

Usually consistent performers such as Juninho and Sean Franklin have looked tired or out of sorts.

And Robbie Keane has been uncharacteristically hesitant in front of goal - Wednesday's performance was possibly the worst of his brief Galaxy career so far - and he was similarly reticent to explain his performance to this reporter and slipped away during the mixed zone Tuesday saying he was in a "bad mood" and didn't want to talk.

"He's like a lot of athletes in different sports - he's lost a little confidence because he's had some chances these past three games," Arena said. "You lose your confidence. He's got to get it back real quick. He's had his chances. He has to turn it back around."

And Keane has to meet his shortcomings head on, too, which seemingly wasn't the case Wednesday.

But the spotlight is certainly shining brightest on the back four and rookie Tommy Meyer, whose mistakes Wednesday night led to both Toronto goals.

"We got blown up in the back," Arena said. "Certainly didn't do a good job of marking on the first goal or the second goal. Period. What can you say: there's a few plays we've got to get better defensively (on) in the penalty area.

"(Meyer) got caught on a couple of plays," Arena added. "He's an inexperienced player and got burned on a few of them. He's got to a little bit better, he's got to learn from it."

Arena, a coach who has always demonstrated loyalty to his players and managed to bring out qualities in even the most pedestrian of players others don't see, isn't ready to give up on Meyer yet.

He conceded it was a "possibility" that a more experienced player - it doesn't appear that Arena regards former Chivas USA defender Andrew Boyens as anything more than a stopgap reserve - could be brought in.

But it seems far more likely than Arena won't give up on his draft pick investment yet.

"These games will be our experience," he said. "We've played with a lot of young players the last couple of years and took our lumps doing that. Maybe we have to take our lumps a little more before we get better in those positions."

But to do that experienced players have to step up and do their part to compensate and that has yet to happen, said playmaker Landon Donovan.

"We always knew losing Omar was going to hurt, but we've not done a good enough job of covering up for it," he said. "We have guys capable of making the plays that we need to make.

"We haven't had much time in practice the last couple of weeks and it's pretty clear where the problems are and we need to work on them."

The Galaxy have three days to get to work before facing D.C. United Sunday at Home Depot Center. A.J. DeLaGarza knows the pair must gel quickly or what is a long season could appear even longer before it has barely started.

"Me and (Meyer) both need to do a better job of marking in the box," he said. "They had two goals today you can blame on us just not marking. It's unacceptable. We haven't played together that much -- it's going to take some time."

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What do you think? Should the Galaxy trade for an experienced central defender? Or should fans continue to put faith in Arena's excellent judgment so far when it comes to grooming promising young players? Let me know in the comment section below.

Staff Writer Phil Collin will have a full run-down of Wednesday's game at Home Depot Center a little later, but here's an MLS-produced video preview with interviews with the Galaxy's Todd Dunivant, Juninho, Landon Donovan and Bruce Arena courtesy of SendtoNews/MLS and the Galaxy.

The Galaxy and Toronto tied 2-2 in the first leg last Wednesday in Canada. As of this writing, tickets to the 7 p.m. game at 7,500-capacity Home Depot Center (for this game only) remain available.

MLS Toronto FC at LA Galaxy preview
CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal second leg

Toronto FC-Galaxy, 5 p.m. Fox Soccer, Telefutura

A massive season opener tonight begins a sequence of four Galaxy games in 11 days that will provide an early fitness test not just because of the quantity of games, but the quality of the surface in the first game.

The main focus for Galaxy fans will be the stability of the back four in the absence of the rock-like Omar Gonzalez.

As regular readers already know it appears former Chivas USA and Toronto defender Andrew Boyens will get the nod in the middle of the defence giving the Galaxy a probable starting lineup of:
Josh Saunders
Sean Franklin
A.J. DeLaGarza
Andrew Boyens
Todd Dunivant
Juninho
David Beckham
Landon Donovan
Mike Magee
Robbie Keane
Edson Buddle

Read more on the beginning of the season here.

Los Angeles native Herculez Gomez and Santos take on the Seattle Sounders in another CONCACAF quarterfinal immediately following the Toronto-Galaxy game.

Hard as it is to believe, Major League Soccer is back already for another season.

My column today is intended to set the stage and bring casual fans of the sport up to date on the growth and success of the sport.

The immediate focus this week is on the CONCACAF Champions League opponents Toronto, who have never seen their on-field sucess match their fans' fervor off it.

The current version of the team boasts UCSB product Luis Silva, whose playmaking ability is already being talked up.

The Galaxy's Landon Donovan, still recovering from illness, said he is about 90 percent fit. His ailment partly nullified the work he had put in in England with Everton, he said Sunday before the Galaxy headed north:

"The frustrating thing was I was as fit and healthy as I've felt in a long time, but then when you're ill and you don't train for two weeks it kind of takes it out of you, so this week I've been trying to get my fitness back and be sharp again.

"It was good for me and important for me to play a bunch of games in the off-season at that (EPL) level." he added. "I think it's only going to help me. We can see now how Robbie is much sharper than he was when he first came here last year. Edson having been in Europe and having played some games there has come back a better, more confident player so I think for all of us its been a big benefit (to play in Europe)."

Toronto will need to much impoved if they hope to stay with a Galaxy offense even more loaded than last year with Buddle rejoining the team:

"It's not a front six I would ever want to play against if I were an MLS defender," Donovan said. "And having Edson back there's not many teams that are going to make a better acquisition that that. We were under the impression we had lost Juninho so to get him back is a big plus, too.

Donovan said the team senses they are closing in on a major piece of silverware:

"You don't get many opportunities to do something like this," he said. "We think we have a team that's capable of doing something special so you don't want to take that lightly. We know Toronto is an improved team. That first game there is going to be a massive game for them."

The biggest question mark for the Galaxy is in central defense, where dominant MLS Defender of the Year Omar Gonzalez is absent through injury:

"Obviously (not having) Omar is going to hurt there's no question about it," Donovan said. "But Bruce has a system in place and has done a lot of work with the young guys and Andrew to get them ready to fill that role. We'll have some mixing and matching of some guys, but we still feel confident."

Incidentally, the last eight of the Champions League gets under way tonight with Morelia playing Monterrey at 7 o'clock.

On Wednesday, the Seattle Sounders-Santos clash follows the Galaxy game on Fox Soccer and Telefutura at 7 p.m.

The Galaxy fly out of LAX at 8:30 a.m. Monday en route to Toronto for the opening leg of their quarterfinal CONCACAF Champions League clash two days later, a game that kicks off a run of four games in 11 days to open the MLS season.

A largely reserve and auditioning lineup for the Galaxy won their first silverware of the year Saturday, beating the New England Revolution on penalty kicks at the Desert Diamond Cup in Tuscon after the game ended 0-0. Probably more of a guide to the starting XI Wednesday were the personnel present this morning at the final practice in Southern California before the season begins.

The practice was largely a five-a-side scrimmage with a team of Josh Saunders, Landon Donovan, David Beckham, Robbie Keane and A.J. DeLaGarza playing a lineup of goalkeeper coach Ian Feuer, Edson Buddle, Sean Franklin, Mike Magee and Andrew Boyens.

Add in Todd Dunivant and Juninho (who Coach Bruce Arena said needed the minutes Saturday) and that's the probable starting lineup for Wednesday's game, I'd say.

This was the second training session of the preseason with the club for both Donovan and Keane, incidentally; Donovan, who turned 30 today - and wasn't enamored with his age being pointed out to him - said he did nothing for two weeks during his bout of bronchitis except lie on his back (and try to breathe).

Arena claimed he hasn't yet decided who will partner A.J. DeLaGarza in the center of defense Wednesday, but you've got to figure the presence of Boyens at Sunday's scrimmage suggests the Galaxy won't give a rookie a pro debut in the CL quarterfinals before a crowd of 45,000. Doesn't it?

Meanwhile, the Galaxy Monday will announce at least two roster cuts and new signings from among unsigned center back Bryan Gaul, former Cal State Northridge midfielder Rafael Garcia, former University of Louisville midfielder Kenny Walker, defender J.T. Murray, a former Sporting Kansas City draft pick and former San Diego State midfielder Justin Davies. They are the only Galaxy players still in camp not under contract.

Decisions have already been made, Arena said.

I'll have more on the Galaxy's preparations for the game Wednesday and season in general in Tuesday's column.

*UCLA product Sydney LeRoux and Hermosa Beach resident Abby Wambach were named by U.S. Soccer as the Young Female Athlete of the Year and Female Athlete of the Year respectively. Brek Shea and Clint Dempsey won the corresponding awards for male players.

Here's more from the Associated Press:

CHICAGO (AP) -- Abby Wambach has been voted the U.S. Soccer Federation's female athlete of the year for the fifth time, matching Mia Hamm's record. Clint Dempsey has been voted top male athlete for the first time since 2007.

The USSF also said Friday that Brek Shea and Sydney Leroux were the top young athletes.

Wambach won previously in 2003, 2004, 2007 and last year. Hamm won from 1994 to 1998. Wambach scored four goals at the Women's World Cup, including one in the 122nd minute in the semifinals that forced penalty kicks and enabled the Americans to reach the final, where they lost to Germany.

Dempsey scored three goals at the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Playing for Fulham, he passed Brian McBride to become the highest-scoring American in the Premier League.

Online votes counted for half the total, with the rest from media and USSF representatives.

*Toronto FC announced this morning that 35,000 tickets have been sold for the March 7 CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal first leg against the Galaxy, who will make their only appearance in Toronto for the game this year. The indoor Rogers Centre holds 45,000, but ticket sales so far mean Toronto have already set a new home attendance record.

*The Galaxy open preseason training Monday, with all players undergoing physicals this weekend. Here's who is - and is not - in camp, according to a club press release:

A total of 16 players from last year's MLS Cup winning squad are expected to be on hand for the club's first day of training on Monday, while five players - A.J. DeLaGarza, Landon Donovan, Robbie Keane, Brian Perk and Michael Stephens - are currently away on international duty or on loan.

In addition to the 16 returning players that will be in attendance, new acquisitions Andrew Boyens, Nick Noble, Pat Noonan, Marcelo Sarvas and Jose Villarreal will all train with the club for the first time.

Additionally, all seven of the club's recent draft picks, as well as trialists, Bill Gaudette, a goalkeeper who played for the Columbus Crew, Puerto Rico Islanders and Montreal Impact, as well as defender J.T. Murray, a second round pick by Sporting Kansas City in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft out of the University of Louisville, will be with the club for Monday's training session.

I'll have more in Tuesday's column.

*Chelsea's Frank Lampard will not be there even though AEG head honcho Tim Leiweke is a huge fan. Who isn't? (current Chelsea management aside, apparently). But no one should hold their breath Lampard is coming to LA anytime soon.

*If you only watch one game this weekend: Make it Norwich City-Chelsea at 4:30 a.m. Sunday on ESPN2. Those of you not biased City fans (ahem) may want to see the U.S. play Chivas USA veteran Alejandro Moreno and Venezuela at 6 p.m. Saturday on Galavision. Thank heaven for soccer-loving Spanish-language channels.

*

Clearing up a few odds and ends before the weekend (that would have posted hours sooner had our soon-to-be-replaced blogging software not freaked out):

*Galaxy midfielder Michael Stephens, Chivas USA's Jorge Villafaña (formerly Flores) and UCLA midfielder Kelyn Rowe were named today to the U-23 camp set for Sunday through Jan. 25 at Carson's Home Depot Center and in Costa Rica. All but four of the 22-player roster, including Rowe, were in the December U-23 camp in Florida. Full roster, camp details here.

*The increasingly unimportant MLS Combine, a precursor to the increasingly unimportant MLS Draft, is under way in Florida.

There are several Southern California-based players involved from the likes of UCLA and Cal State Northridge. The complete roster of combine participants is here. You can watch the combine here.

*Chivas USA President Jose Domene tweeted this morning that a new player signing was imminent.

The club has also released four players who won't be missed: starting midfielder midfielder Marcos Mondaini; defender Michael Umana, a second time wash-out in MLS after featuring for Steve Sampson's Galaxy back in 2005; striker and noted braggart Victor Estupiñán, who boasted he would score 25-plus MLS goals and ended up with one; and third choice goalkeeper Sergio Arias.

*Former Chivas USA coach Thomas Rongen has joined Toronto as Academy director, the club announced today.

*Toronto also announced today that tickets for the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal against the Galaxy will go on sale next Friday. Tickets start at $29. Anyone making the trek from LA?

*Hermosa Beach native Dan Tobias has joined the South Bay Force as director of coaching for the club's girls program. The Mira Costa High grad and was a two-time PAC-10 Coach of the Year at the University of Arizona during a seven-year tenure at the school.

*Glasgow Rangers manager Ally McCoist said the club turned down an inadequate offer from French club Sochaux for midfielder Maurice Edu of Fontana.

McCoist was quoted by the Associated Press as saying the bid, which he didn't disclose, "was so far away that I would be very surprised if they came back in."

Sochaux is already home to American forward Charlie Davies, who spent last year on loan with D.C. United.

"I can tell you that I want Maurice Edu to sign a new contract rather than go anywhere," McCoist said.

*There's yet more on the scandals involving FIFA and CONCACAF today:

ZURICH (AP) -- FIFA says former vice president Jack Warner peddled "inaccuracies and falsehoods" when he claimed last month that he got World Cup television rights for $1 in exchange for supporting Sepp Blatter's presidential campaigns.

FIFA confirms that Warner received Caribbean broadcasting rights for $1, though from 1986 and not -- as Warner claimed -- from 1998 when Blatter was first electe d.

FIFA says the deals had "nothing to do" with Blatter's election campaigns.

FIFA says World Cup rights were often sold until 1998 for nominal sums to maximize coverage in developing nations, and provide soccer bodies with extra revenue from selling on rights to broadcasters.

The governing body says Warner was expected to raise money for the Caribbean Football Union.

*Finally, if you only watch one game this weekend, I recommend the Manchester derby in the FA Cup third round that's set to air locally at 5 a.m. Sunday on Fox Soccer.

Enjoy what is shaping up to be another stunning winter weekend in Southern California.